laudable Practice

The Socinians here object, that the text does not say that the Eucharist is ordained for remission, but that the blood, the blood spilled upon the cross, was shed for remission. But it is obvious to reply, that that blood which was once literally given for remission, upon the cross, is now every day symbolically and mystically given in the Eucharist, and given with all its fruits: therefore remission of sins is given. Such is the nature of symbolical grants, as I have before explained at large: they exhibit what they represent, convey what they signify, and are in divine construction and acceptance, though not literally or substantially, the very thing which they supply the place of.  Daniel Waterland  A Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist, as laid down in Scripture and Antiquity , Chapter IX, 'Of Remission of Sins conferred in the Eucharist'.

Ours is a wonderful heritage of excellent preachers. The High Church Puritan's  excellent post ' Why Anglicans Can't Preach ' has rightly received considerable attention.  Now the post's title, of course, is meant to be provocative.  As the quotation above from the post indicates, it is not suggesting that the Anglican tradition has a fatal flaw which inhibits or undermines solid preaching.  No, the point is that we - in North Atlantic Anglicanism - have forgotten what was once a strength of the Anglican tradition: solid, substantive preaching. Take thou authority to preach the Word of God ... Every newly-ordained presbyter once heard these words.  Preaching was to be a normal, routine exercise of ministry.  "I read Prayers and Preached this morning" is perhaps the most common refrain in the diaries of Parson Woodforde, a reminder that preaching was the normal expression of the priest's teaching ministry.  It was not glamorous, it was not in th...

In The Mystical Presence: A Vindication of the Reformed or Calvinistic Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist (1846), John Williamson Nevin identified the then widespread Reformed "undervaluation of the sacraments, reducing them in the end to mere signs" not as the outworking of the historic Reformed confessions (which actually witness to a rich Eucharistic theology) but, rather, as the result of the influence of Socinian and Arminian teaching. Quoting from Socinian confessions and catechisms, Nevin describes them as turning the Lord's Supper "into a naked commemoration of Christ's benefits".  Similarly, "with the rise of Arminianism in the following century, in the bosom of the Reformed Church, we find a similar undervaluation of the sacraments".  He quotes from the Remonstrant theologian Philipp van Limborch : They operate upon us as signs, that represent to our mind the thing whose signs they are.  Nor should any other efficacy be sought in them ...

A significant portion of Waterland's 1739 charge as archdeacon to the clergy of Middlesex - The Sacramental Part of the Eucharist Explained - refutes admiration for Eastern Eucharistic theologies and the related proposal of the need for an epiclesis in the Prayer of Consecration.   The context was the influence of Non-juror works and the suggestion emanating from Non-juror Usager circles of 'restoring' the invocation of the Holy Spirit found in the 1549 rite.  Elsewhere, Waterland had referred to this portion of the rite being "thrown out afterwards, upon prudential considerations, and at the instance chiefly of two learned and judicious foreigners, whom Archbishop Cranmer called in to assist at the review of our Liturgy in 1551". At the opening of the charge Waterland refers to 1702, the beginning of Queen Anne's reign.  As the beginning of this reign witnessed the reconciliation of moderate Non-jurors to the Church of England, he seems to be using it as...

In A Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist, as laid down in Scripture and Antiquity (1737), summarising Calvin's Eucharistic doctrine, Waterland emphasises that "that great man and illustrious reformer" established a view of the sacrament which was "steering a kind of middle course, between extremes".   He points in particular to an extract from the Institutes , describing it as "very near the truth, and the whole truth": We say that they [the body and blood] are truly and efficaciously exhibited to us, but not naturally.  By which we mean, not that the very substance of his body, or that the real and natural body of Christ are there given, but all the benefits which Christ procured for us in his body.  This is that presence of his body which the nature of the Sacrament requires. Waterland, however, detects "ambiguity" here: "his account was too confused".  He goes on to explicitly define the ambiguity and confusion: ...

In his A Summary View of the Doctrine of Justification , Daniel Waterland's (1683-1740) critique of the "Solifidian doctrines, as taught by some in later times" particularly emphasised the negative impact of such teaching on an abiding concern of the High Church tradition, "practical Christianity".  Such a theology, incapable of giving a meaningful account of the role and significance of good works, Waterland contrasted with his own tradition: But we take due care so to maintain the doctrine of faith, as not to exclude the necessity of good works; and so to maintain good works, as not to exclude the necessity of Christ's atonement, or the free grace of God. The latter part of this statement points a key aspect of Waterland's work, his affirmation of a classical Reformed understanding of justification: ... justification as a kind of law term, expressing a judicial transaction.  Protestants of every denomination have set themselves to defend it ......

One of the joys of the Prayer Book tradition, of Common Prayer, is discovering or rediscovering a prayer contained within it which resonates in a particular manner.  For me, this has recently been the case with rediscovery of 'A Prayer for the Clergy and People', at the end of 1662 Mattins and Evensong: Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our Bishops, and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ It is, of course, usually omitted, regarded as part of the unnecessary material at the conclusion of the offices, and as antiquated as the two preceding prayers for the Queen and Royal Family.  We might, however, want to pause at this point.  The state prayers at Mattins and Evensong in the Prayer Book tradition give...

... a body of sound and orthodox discourses. Thus did Old High Churchman E.H. Browne (Norrisian Professor of Divinity at Cambridge 1854-64, Bishop of Ely 1864-73) describe the Books of Homilies in his 1854 An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles . The phrase came to mind when reading Francis Young's essay on Article XXXV in the  Young People's Theology: Theology in the Episcopal Tradition  project on the Articles of Religion: The Homilies were also a compendium of Anglican doctrine and a theological resource for clergy writing sermons. In these two respects the Homilies remain as important as they ever were.  While enthusiastically endorsing this, I do have some reservations concerning Young's interpretation of the Article as implying a distinction in standing between the first ("set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth") and second Books: Article 35 cannot be read definitively as an endorsement of both Books of Homilies, but only as an explicit endor...

In The Case of Arian Subscription Considered (1721), High Church theologian Daniel Waterland robustly refuted the notion proposed by Arians and Unitarians that the Articles of Religion were subscribed to only insofar as they were agreeable to Scripture.  This, Waterland contended, was a rejection of the very practice of subscription, a practice necessary to secure the traditional High Church virtues of unity and conformity: To make it still plainer that such subscription is fraudulent; let it be considered what the ends and purposes intended by the ruling powers, in requiring subscription, are. They are expressed in our public laws and canons to this effect; that pastors may be sound in the faith, that no doctrines be publicly or privately taught but what the Church and State approve of; that all diversity of opinions, in respect of points determined, be avoided; that one uniform scheme of religion, one harmonious form of worship, (consonant to Scripture and primitive C...

In my view, this is not biblical but natural theology. It is a vision of the Christian life based on the rhythm of creaturely procreation and mortality.  The recent exchange on ABC Religion & Ethics between Christopher Craig Brittain and Ephraim Radner on the contemporary Anglican marriage debate is interesting for a perhaps unexpected reason.  Laudable Practice has previously avoided commenting on this debate for a number of reasons.  Chiefly, however, I am unconvinced that either perspective is seriously considering how the church's solemnization of matrimony contributes to the flourishing and well-being of the civitas as community and as an embodiment of the created order. The quote from Brittain above, critiquing Radner's theology of marriage, is a significant example of this.  Placing 'biblical' theology over and against natural theology is, of course, an ancient predilection of some theologies which have undermined the Church's life and witnes...

George Herbert's ' The British Church ' exemplifies the native pride in the ecclesia Anglicana which was a defining characteristic of the avante garde conformists and Laudians, a native pride bequeathed to the Old High Church tradition. It might be suggested that this native pride in our "dear mother" was what primarily set avante garde conformists and Laudians apart from conforming Calvinists.  For the latter, as Diarmaid MacCulloch points out, the Church of England was merely one of a number of Reformed churches, amongst whom others also were episcopally governed and had liturgical worship.  By contrast, avante garde conformists and Laudians rejoiced in the particular character of what the Laudian Bramhall termed "the Britannick Churches".  There is perhaps more than an echo here of Hooker's praise for "the Churches ... within this Realme, By the goodnes of almightie God and his servant Elizabeth we are" ( LEP Book V, Dedica...

I was honoured to participate in the project by Young People's Theology: Theology in the Episcopal Tradition on the Articles of Religion.  My essay on Article XXX - alongside an excellent essay on the same Article , exploring what the Article means for the dignity of the latiy - can be found here .  As always, reviewing my essay (written in early May), I would change aspects of it and seek to make the central arguments clearer.  The section I am most content with, however, is reproduced below, exploring how partaking of "the Cup of the Lord" is effectual sign of the Eucharist as the "commemorating rite and representment" of the Lord's sacrifice, or, in other words from Jeremy Taylor, as "commemorative sacrifice".  The section is entitled 'Sacrifice'. ---------------------------------- Classical Anglican critique of communion in one kind drew attention to how it disrupted the sacramental sign.  The Homily on the Sacrament warned tha...

A final extract from A relation of the conference between William Laud, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and Mr. Fisher the Jesuite , in which Laud recognises episcopal succession to be for the bene esse of the Church, not of its esse : ... for Succession in the general I shall say this. 'Tis a great happiness where it may be had Visible and Continued, and a great Conquest over the Mutability of this present world. But I do not finde any one of the Ancient Fathers that makes Local, Personal, Visible, and Continued Succession, a Necessary Signe or Mark of the true Church in any one place. And where Vincentius Lirinensis  calls for Antiquity, Universality, and Consent, as great Notes of Truth, he hath not one word of Succession ... And once more, before I leave this Point. Most evident it is, That the Succession which the Fathers meant, is not tyed to Place or Person, but 'tis tyed to the Verity of Doctrine ... For so Tertullian expresly . Beside the order ...

From A relation of the conference between William Laud, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and Mr. Fisher the Jesuite , in which Laud rejects the suggestion from Roman apologists that reform required the authority of a General Council, and should not have been undertaken by national synods: ... we should have no Reformation: For it would be long enough, before the Church should be cured, if that Sea alone should be her Physitian, which in truth is her Disease. Now if for all this you will say still, that a Provincial Councel will not suffice, but we should have born with Things, till the time of a General Councel. First, 'tis true, a General Councel, free and entire, would have been the best Remedy, and most able for a Gangrene that had spread so far, and eaten so deep into Christianity. But what? Should we have suffered this Gangrene to endanger life and all, rather than be cured in time by a Physitian of a weaker knowledge, and a less able Hand?  Secondly, W...

From A relation of the conference between William Laud, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and Mr. Fisher the Jesuite , in which Laud defends the Reformation of the ecclesia Anglicana .  Much of what he says here became part of the High Church account of the Reformation: the emphasis on an orderly Reformation, the need for the Church to be Reformed, the role of the Articles of Religion, and the rights of National Churches.  It has a significance for contemporary Anglicanism in which, outside of the conventional and impoverished evangelical account, there is little sense of a coherent, meaningful apologia for the Reformation. In the Reformation which came after, our Princes had their parts, and the Clergy theirs. And to these Two principally the power and direction for Reformation belongs. That our Princes had their parts, is manifest by their Calling together of the Bishops, and others of the Clergy, to consider of that which might seem worthy Reformation. And t...